The invention relates to a method for removing contents from an envelope having a first and a second panel at least partially severed along three folding edges and interconnected along a fourth folding edge, comprising the steps of sliding a portion of the first panel relatively to the second panel in the direction of the fourth folding edge and pivoting said portion about the fourth folding edge.
The invention further relates to an apparatus for removing contents from an envelope comprising a station for facilitating access to the contents of an envelope substantially severed along three of its folding edges, said station comprising a transport track and friction surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the transport track and facing each other, of which friction surfaces at least one can be pressed towards the other friction surface and can be moved relatively to the other surface in at least one direction substantially parallel to the transport track.
A method and an apparatus as described above are known from French patent 346 891. After the first pannel is pivoted about the fourth folding edge, the contents of the envelope can easily be removed from the envelope for example by picking the contents up manually or, as proposed in the aforementioned document, by sliding the contents over subsequently the second and the first panel until the contents are separated from the envelope.
Although in the course of time better high friction materials than the rubber and sanding cloth used according to the aforementioned document have become available, the processing of envelopes of which the front and back panel were not completely severed along the three folding edges remained a major problem. This problem is of particular importance because to avoid damage to the contents of the envelope, as little material as possible is taken of the three folding edges. This in turn brings about the effect that at dented sections of the edges, the front and the back panel are not completely separated. In practice such dents are, for example, caused by rubber bands wrapped around stacks of postal items to be delivered in the same postal district.
Furthermore, it would be advantageous not to separate the panels entirely along the three edges to ensure firstly that even if the contents are damaged during severing the three edges, the contents are not split into two ore more pieces but merely perforated; and secondly that no material is taken off the edges of the edges of the envelope. The latter material would have to be removed separately.